St. Fratty’s Day is coming, and Cal Poly has a plan to move the party on campus. Here’s how
Cal Poly’s notorious “St. Fratty’s Day” party could look a little different this year — or so city leaders and university officials hope.
Stopping the annual, unsanctioned St. Patrick’s Day celebration has been a major source of tension among San Luis Obispo neighbors and city leadership. Last year’s event drew over 6,000 people to the residential streets adjacent to Cal Poly, and resulted in scattered vandalism on and off campus.
Afterward, SLO police Chief Rick Scott warned those who would consider attending in the future: “Don’t.”
But with St. Fratty’s looming once again, both police and university officials know that the party can’t be stopped — at least not yet. So, they’re taking a different approach.
This year, Cal Poly will host a concert the weekend of St. Fratty’s, hoping to coax students out of the residential neighborhoods and encourage safe partying on campus instead, university officials told the SLO City Council on Tuesday night.
“We think it may create a different tradition for our students over time,” said Allison Baird-James, Cal Poly’s senior vice president for administration and finance. “I’m not sure that it’s going to be the entire answer for everything this year, but over time hopefully it’ll be something that is looked forward to by the campus and the students.”
The event is slated to run from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m on March 15, and it isn’t just limited to Cal Poly students.
It will be free, outdoors and open to the public for those 18 and older. There will be a 5,000-ticket cap, but more can be accommodated depending on demand, Baird-James said.
Guests will not be allowed to stay in Cal Poly housing during that weekend.
Entertainment will include DJs from Greek Life organizations and a yet-to-be-determined headliner, Baird-James said. The university is hoping to secure an artist that will appeal to students.
Food and drink — including alcohol — will be available. The university is even considering a pancake bar.
“Yes, we are going to include alcohol in the event,” Baird-James, said, responding to a question from Councilmember Jan Marx during Tuesday’s meeting. “We think that it’s going to be important, if we really want to draw the students, to make sure that that we have the activities going that they’re going to want to be a part of.”
Baird-James said the alcohol would be “very controlled” and could be in the form of a beer garden available to students 21 and older.
Cal Poly will also provide hydration stations, boxes with water, electrolyte drinks and snacks, and other harm reduction efforts to help students stay safe. The event will be advertised by the university through information campaigns and by working with Greek Life and other students organizations.
Officials said Cal Poly is committed to ending the St. Fratty’s Day tradition of partying in the streets, but reaching that goal will take time. For now, the university’s top priorities include protecting the health and safety of students and preventing damage and disruption.
Officials acknowledged that concert noise starting at 4 a.m. could disrupt neighbors.
“This is an area where we’re going to ask for grace from the community,” interim Vice President for Student Affairs Cynthia Villa said. “We’re doing our very best to draw them out of the neighborhoods and to to move the party away, but there will be some noise in the early mornings and that’s one thing we just can’t control.”
“Nevertheless,” she continued, “it’s a better option than doing nothing and allowing the party in the neighborhoods to continue.”
Police will have ‘zero tolerance’ for violations
While Cal Poly’s efforts will be focused on campus, the San Luis Obispo Police Department will be monitoring the event and the neighborhoods.
Police will have a zero tolerance policy in place for violations that occur during and leading up to St. Fratty’s Day, Deputy Chief Fred Mickel told the City Council on Tuesday. Officers will be citing and arresting people who violate the law.
Like last year, a safety enhancement zone will be in place during the weekend prior to and the weekend of St. Fratty’s Day. Fines for violations will double during those times, up to $1,000.
Officers will also be watching for people on roofs — a St. Fratty’s tradition that resulted in several injuries after a roof collapsed in 2015.
The Police Department will have several different personnel units on site, as well as fire and medical services. Assistance will be provided by other law enforcement agencies to ensure adequate staff is available.
The Department is also engaging in a communications plan — presenting to Greek Life, canvassing neighborhoods and creating targeted social media posts discouraging college-aged individuals statewide from attending St. Fratty’s Day.
“While our goal is to end this, I want to give us a realistic expectation that this could take a couple years to end completely,” Mickel said.
City officials encouraged, but want St. Fratty’s eliminated
City officials appeared encouraged by the efforts underway to mitigate St. Fratty’s Day.
Chief Scott told councilmembers that the department and Cal Poly had cultivated a “deeper level of partnership” that was not prevalent during past St. Fratty’s planning. That partnership, he said, is the “only hope” for ending illegal street partying in the future.
Marx said the university’s efforts gave her hope, though she ultimately wants St. Fratty’s eliminated.
“I really appreciate Cal Poly stepping up like this,” she said. “It’s very encouraging.”
Stew Jenkins, a SLO lawyer who spoke at public comment, advocated for an increase to the SLO police budget to ensure adequate St. Fratty’s Day enforcement and code enforcement against illegal fraternities located in the residential neighborhoods of SLO.
“We’ve had alcohol-fueled ransacking of neighborhoods going on way too long here,” he said. “The city cannot abdicate its responsibility for city safety.”
This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 9:54 AM.
